On Actor Tunisha Sharma's Death, BJP MLA's "Love Jihad" Theory

Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Ram Kadam today put a so-called "love jihad" spin to the high profile suicide case of an actor in Maharashtra. Tunisha Sharma on Saturday allegedly died by suicide on the set of a TV show in Vasai in Maharashtra's Palghar district. Sheezan Mohammed Khan, her co-star in the TV show 'Ali Baba: Dastaan-E-Kabul', was arrested after a case of abetment to suicide was registered against him based on a complaint by Tunisha's mother. The two were in a relationship and had broken up 15 days ago, which might have pushed the actor to the edge, the FIR in the case has revealed.

The case will be thoroughly probed, and all angles will be looked into, Ram Kadam said, adding that the guilty will not be spared, and Tunisha Sharma's family will get justice.

"What was the reason for the suicide? Is there love-jihad in this? Or is there some other issue. Investigation will reveal the truth, but Tunisha Sharma's family will 100 per cent get justice. And if this is a case of love jihad, then the police will also probe what organisations are behind it and who the conspirators are," he added.

Sheezan Mohammed Khan was this afternoon sent to four-day police custody by the Vasai court in Mumbai. At the court, Mr Khan's lawyer, Sharad Rai, spoke to the media and said, "Whatever has happened, police and court are working. He (Sheezan Khan) has been produced in court. Allegations against him are baseless."

Parth Zutshi, another co-actor, was called by the police on Sunday for questioning on the incident.

Speaking to media outside the police station, Mr Zutshi, who claims he wasn't present on sets at the time of the incident, said, "I was called for questioning by police and was asked general questions. I can't comment on her relations, I don't have any idea, it was her internal matter."

The 20-year-old actor was found hanging in the washroom after a tea break while shooting; Waliv police said they had to break open the door after she did not come out for a long time. The shooting crew took her to a hospital at around 1:30 am, where she was declared dead.

Tunisha Sharma's colleagues claimed she had died by suicide, but the police conducted an investigation on the spot and said no suicide note was recovered. They said they will investigate her death from both murder and suicide angles.